Wizard show launches Hartlepool school’s new building

Kevin Clark

Pupils at a Hartlepool school have been Over the Rainbow to produce its first show in their new home.

Manor Community Academy presented The Wizard of Oz as the first musical production in its new building.

Munchkins from Manor Community Academy production of The Wizard Of Oz. Picture by FRANK REID

The show had a lot to live up to after the sell-out success of last year’s performance of Annie.

Unusually, this year’s lead roles were all Year 11 pupils, with a supporting cast of 70 pupils from Years 7-11 and dancers aged 8-11 from Manor’s partner primary schools.

Olivia Crawford, who recorded a fund-rasing song for Bradley Lowery as part of ‘Liv n G’ with sister Georgia Fletcher, took the lead role in the five sell-out performances.

She and Toto were joined on the trip to the Emerald City by Sophie Burmiston as the Scarecrow, Nathan Jukes as the Cowardly Lion and Matthew Short as the Tin Man, while Tamsin Ballingall was the Wicked Witch of the West and Keaton Bentham played the title role.

It is exciting to have such an amazing and colourful show to introduce our new theatre to the audience and demonstrate just what The Academy at Manor is about.

Ellie Hopwood

Acadmey director Ellie Hopwood was delighted with the hard work of the performers and the end result.

“The cast have worked extremely hard and are incredibly talented,” she said.

“It is exciting to have such an amazing and colourful show to introduce our new theatre to the audience and demonstrate just what The Academy at Manor is about.

“We have pupils from all year groups in the show and watching how they work together and help each other out as well as developing their performance skills is fantastic’.